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Could Your Business Use Some Purpose? - Business Times Column #124

A shared purpose constitutes a powerful starting point to a more enlivened, satisfying and successful business operation. Purpose is not what a company does or even how it does it. A clearly defined purpose is a statement of why a company and its team do what they do day in and day out. It’s their reason for being.

Today, businesses across the nation and around the world will conduct operations, serve customers, generate revenues and earn profits — or not. Tomorrow, these same companies and their teams will do it all over again. There’s a real difference, however, between those businesses that simply go through the motions and the exceptional ones that are fueled by purpose and engage customers with passion, intention, enthusiasm and integrity. It’s a difference with a lasting effect on customer satisfaction and the bottom line.

When team members understand and align with a company’s purpose and their work aligns with their core values or motivation, buy-in, enthusiasm, job satisfaction and work quality all increase.

It’s been proven time and again: People are happier when they have a cause in which to believe and be a part. When what they do is infused with value and meaning, the teams they’re a part of are far more effective. Additionally, a business that clearly defines its direction and then shares that direction with an aligned and purpose-driven team will reach and even exceed its goals on a consistent basis.

A powerful analogy would be the NASA space program and astronauts. For these historic explorers to have been successful in reaching the moon and expanding our knowledge of space, a clearly stated purpose and defined direction had to be in place. They had to know where it was they intended to go. It also was imperative the entire crew be excited about the purpose and willing to go in the same direction as NASA. When these critical factors — purpose and direction — don’t exist, the experience proves unsavory and the desired outcome is rarely, if ever, realized.

Constructive and shared team accountability constitutes the third side of this success triangle in business.

When built into the tasks and projects of the team from the beginning, accountability is far more effective in reaching goals, moving forward and fulfilling purpose than accountability that comes after the fact. Just as teams need a clearly defined purpose and direction, they also require clearly defined objectives and parameters for the completion of tasks and projects critical to business success.

Errors are reduced and results improve significantly when clarity is built into the delegation of tasks and projects from the outset. As team members learn to work together in the process of clearly communicating the objectives and parameters necessary to accomplishing action steps and larger goals and then support each other’s progress, they become nearly unstoppable. Simply stated, above-average and exceptional companies are proactive with their accountability whereas poor to average businesses are not.

Teams with a clearly defined and mutually agreed upon purpose, established goals that support a chosen direction and a culture of constructive accountability operate differently than those that don’t enjoy this advantage. They foster positive customer experiences, build brand loyalty, support the company mission and drive revenues that result in long-term business success.

As a business owner, where do you think all this begins? If you believe the answer is you, then you’re already leaps and bounds ahead of those business owners who believe the buck stops with others first.

You’re positioned to take the next step. Choosing to work with a professional business coach and trainer will enable you to put all of these vital components into place in your business — or develop them further if they already exist.

Rather than running a company where team members just go through the motions and collect paychecks because they lack purpose, direction and accountability, build a business powered by people who’re inspired. Provide an environment that instills a deep sense of purpose, clearly communicates direction and supports constructive accountability.

The sooner you and your team have a shared purpose and clear direction and come together to create a culture of accountability, the sooner you’ll all enjoy greater happiness and success.

Marcus Straub owns Life is Great! Inc. in Grand Junction. His personalized coaching and consulting services help individuals, business owners, executives and companies build teams, organizations and lives that are filled with happiness and success. He is the winner of the 2011 International Coach of the Year Award, and is also the author of “Is It Fun Being You?.” He is available for free consultations regarding coaching, speaking and trainings. Reach Straub by phone at 208-3150, by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on the website at www.lifeisgreatcoaching.com.